Scrum PSM-I - Professional Scrum Master I

The correct answers are B and C, because these are two responsibilities of a self-organizing Development Team. The Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of ‘Done’ product at the end of each Sprint. Development Teams are structured and empowered by the organization to organize and manage their own work.” Therefore, the Development Team should pull Product Backlog items for the Sprint and do the work planned in the Sprint Backlog.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Team should make sure that everyone on the team does their tasks for the Sprint, as they are collectively accountable for creating valuable Increments that meet stakeholder needs and expectations. The other options are not valid, as they imply that someone else outside the Scrum Team (such as a project manager) or another role on the Scrum Team (such as the Product Owner or the Scrum Master) is responsible for making sure that everyone does their tasks for the Sprint.

According to the Scrum Guide, a Scrum Team must release each Increment when it makes sense to do so, based on the value and feedback obtained from stakeholders. The decision to release an Increment is made by the Product Owner, who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The other options are not valid, as they imply that releasing an Increment is either mandatory (such as after every Sprint), conditional (such as when the product is free of defects), or irrelevant (such as when the Scrum Team finishes their work).

 According to the Scrum Guide, changing the terminology of Scrum may have negative consequences, such as losing the benefits of Scrum, not understanding what has changed, or having very little change at all. Therefore, all answers apply to this question. The Scrum Guide recommends using the same terminology as in the guide to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

Several Sprints into a project, a key stakeholder begins using the product and finds the quality lacking. The Product Owner (PO) agrees and shares this concern with the Scrum Master (SM). The Scrum Master needs to determine the best way to respond.

Scrum emphasizes empiricism, which is based on transparency, inspection, and adaptation​. This means that if quality concerns arise, the Scrum Team must inspect the issue, adapt accordingly, and ensure quality is built into the product incrementally.

✅ A. Encourage the Product Owner to include quality specifications in the Product Backlog and to communicate the stakeholders' concerns to the Developers.

📌 Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team."​

"The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team."​

📌 Why is this Correct?

Since the Product Owner represents the stakeholders, they should translate the stakeholder’s concerns into actionable Product Backlog Items (PBIs) that reflect quality improvements.

Developers can refine and plan these PBIs in upcoming Sprints to ensure quality is systematically addressed.

The Product Backlog is the single source of work, meaning all quality requirements should be made explicit there.

This approach aligns with Scrum’s empirical process of making work transparent so that the team can inspect and adapt.

✅ C. Work with the Product Owner to understand their desired resolution and help formulate an approach for raising the concern with the Developers.

📌 Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including: Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management."​

"The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including: Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done."​

📌 Why is this Correct?

The Scrum Master is a servant leader, responsible for facilitating collaboration between the Product Owner and Developers so that the concern is effectively addressed.

Instead of dictating a solution, the Scrum Master guides discussions and enables the team to decide how best to improve quality.

The Definition of Done (DoD) should be reviewed to ensure it is clear, measurable, and includes quality standards​.

This approach ensures that all stakeholders—Developers, Product Owner, and Scrum Master—collaborate in a self-managing way to improve quality.

Incorrect Answers with Explanations

❌ B. Bring the concern to the testers to improve how the Product is verified.

📌 Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"Developers are always accountable for: Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done."​

📌 Why is this Incorrect?

Scrum does not have a separate testing team; instead, the Developers are responsible for all aspects of quality (coding, testing, integration, etc.).

Quality should not be "verified" by an external group; rather, it must be built into the Increment from the start.

Instead of passing the issue to testers, the Scrum Team should improve their Definition of Done to ensure the product meets the necessary quality standards.

❌ D. Tell the Product Owner they have noted the concern and will raise this issue at the Sprint Retrospective.

📌 Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint."​

📌 Why is this Incorrect?

While the Sprint Retrospective is useful for discussing improvements, waiting until the Retrospective delays the resolution of a critical issue.

The Scrum Team should act immediately by addressing quality issues in the Product Backlog and adapting their work in upcoming Sprints.

Transparency and fast feedback are key principles in Scrum—delaying discussions goes against empiricism.

❌ E. Explain to the Product Owner that it is up to the Developers to decide on acceptable quality standards.

📌 Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product."​

"If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum."​

📌 Why is this Incorrect?

While the Developers are responsible for meeting the Definition of Done, quality is a shared responsibility across the Scrum Team.

The Product Owner must ensure that the product delivers value to stakeholders, which includes meeting their quality expectations.

Ignoring the Product Owner’s concerns contradicts Scrum’s emphasis on collaboration and transparency.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner has the final say on the order of the Product Backlog, as he or she is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The other roles do not have this authority, although they may provide input and suggestions to the Product Owner.

According to the Scrum Guide, a Scrum Master fulfills a different role from a traditional project manager. A Scrum Master is a servant-leader and a coach for the Scrum Team and the organization, not a manager or a supervisor. A Scrum Master does not assign tasks, set deadlines, or monitor progress, but rather facilitates self-organization, collaboration, and empiricism within the Scrum Team and the organization.

When a Development Team determines that it will not be able to finish the complete forecast, both the Product Owner and the Development Team have to be present when reviewing and adjusting the Sprint work selected, as stated in [6]: “If there is not enough work remaining for all members of a Development Team then they can renegotiate scope with their Product Owner. If there is too much work remaining then they can also renegotiate scope with their Product Owner.”

The correct answer is D, because the recommended size for a Development Team is 3 to 9 members. The Scrum Guide states that “fewer than three Development Team members decrease interaction and results in smaller productivity gains. Smaller Development Teams may encounter skill constraints during the Sprint, causing the Development Team to be unable to deliver a potentially releasable Increment. Having more than nine members requires too much coordination. Large Development Teams generate too much complexity for an empirical process to be useful.”

The correct answer is B, because a product Increment does not have to be released to production at the end of each Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “at the end of a Sprint, the new Increment must be ‘Done,’ which means it must be in useable condition and meet the Scrum Team’s definition of ‘Done’. An increment is a body of inspectable, done work that supports empiricism at the end of the Sprint. The increment is a step toward a vision or goal.” Therefore, a product Increment must be potentially releasable, but the decision to release it is up to the Product Owner.